The writer's strike leaves one show left, but there are rumors and spoilers of what is to come after the tornado.
When season 4 began, Gabrielle and Susan had each been married a month (to Mayor Victor Lang and long-sought-after Mike, respectively), Lynette was dealing with chemotherapy and Bree continued on with her fake pregnancy to protect daughter Danielle's reputation. The first new neighbors were, in fact, old neighbors. Katherine Mayfair had a new husband Adam (Nathan Fillion) and her daughter Dylan--though Dylan recalls nothing of Wisteria Lane.
Katherine Mayfair, the New Neighbor
No one gets along well with Katherine all season long and Bree especially seems keen on digging up the family secrets (it's the first season she hasn't been severely weighted by her own problems). Katherine is very cold to her neighbors and furiously manipulative when it comes to Dylan--she is intent on keeping her from knowing anything of her past, her dad especially (more on this in spoilers). Some of the sordid past is brought fully to light near the end of the season when a woman from Adam's past finds him so they can "be together."
Weak Storylines
This season has definitely been one of weaker storylines. Bree's fake pregnancy trods along until Danielle really does go into labor in the middle of a Halloween party. Some other new neighbors on Wisteria Lane are a gay couple, Bob and Lee, one of whom is especially obnoxious to the neighbors (though in fairness, Susan ruined things pretty early on in her usual way). After beating cancer, Lynette struggles to find a home for her mother, which is resolved nearly as poorly and quickly as the story emerged anyway. Mike begins, nearly out of nowhere, having a drug (pill) problem that he is forced to admit to Susan, though he is reluctant to go to rehab even after accidentally knocking her down the stairs (while she's still pregnant).
Carlos and Gabrielle have one of the few consistent storylines, going back and forth with an affair that is easily discovered by a very jealous Edie, who naturally tells Victor, leading to murderous intentions. Despite Edie lording her knowledge of Carlos' secret bank accounts over him, he still walks out on her. It's not a great subplot, but the tension between the four characters makes it one of the few compelling stories this season.
Something's Coming
As the cliffhanger episode Something's Coming began, Mary Alice warned that a husband and friend would die in the ensuing tornado. Lots of fights and unusual circumstances brought strange pairings as people were forced to wait out the storm. While fighting over Carlos' account files, the storm won as Edie and Gabrielle resolved their differences in Edie's crawlspace, though Victor was far less forgiving as he got his hands on Carlos. Victor is most assuredly dead, though Carlos' fate is unknown, having taken a head (face?) injury.
Bree accidentally spilled a dead woman's secret by mentioning Adam's since-removed tattoo to Katherine, clearly revealing an affair he'd had in his past. The two couples remained trapped in a closet with this information, though both women seem to bond over the infidelity (though vaguely out of character for Katherine).
Susan and Mike were stuck at the hospital, talking over his drug problem (he was handcuffed to a chair, having accosted medical personnel earlier in the episode) as well as his unwillingness to go to rehab, which caused Susan to threaten to leave him and take the baby with her.
Lynette had by far the most shocking ending in store for her. Initially stuck outside with Mrs. McCluskey trying to retrieve the cat Lynette had let loose, they were forced into Lynette's house for cover. Her entire family and Mrs. McCluskey's good friend were all in the McCluskey basement; however, as they walked onto the street at the end, they saw her entire house has been destroyed.
Spoilers for Welcome to Kanagawa and/or Season 5
First of all, there are a few rumors as to what may have been put on the backburner due to the WGA strike. Katherine's ex was supposed to make an appearance (the show was casting for the character, so he is undoubtedly a season 5 shoo-in, along with Mike's younger, "buff" brother, supposedly conceived for season 3) and Mike was supposed to meet a mysterious woman in rehab, according to spoilerfix.com. But fear not, good stuff may yet be to come.
The only other rumors that may or may not be true: someone sues for custody of baby Benjamin Hodge, and Carlos sustained injuries from the tornado, but he is not dead. The rumor is that he's blind, but this may not be permanent (Gaby does not realize at first that he's blind)--the saucy rumors suggest it may be permanent. Also, little is known of Lynette's family but Mrs. McCluskey's friend Ida may be dead, as is Carlos' financier who brought him his Cayman account files (leading either Gaby or Edie to attend his funeral in search of the original documents).
Also, it's key for the fans to note that beginning in March 2008, Housewives will air an hour later than usual, at 10pm central time, after new episodes of Oprah's Big Give. Marc Cherry originally speculated that seven seasons would be enough, so hopefully the storylines will pick up soon.
